Digital advertising and social media marketing for retirement villages and over 50's property.

Amanda Graham, Director of leading retirement property website www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au asks: "Are you getting the most out of your online advertising and website?"

Online advertising can be very cheap and highly effective.  So you've invested in your own website - that's great.  But building a website is just the first step – the hard part is getting the website visitors there and generating real enquiries.

It can be very expensive to rely on display ads, Google Adwords, Facebook ads and some of the major real estate websites to generate worthwhile website traffic and enquiry levels.

The alternative is to invest in some serious SEO technical upgrading (which is expensive), and manage social media marketing activities in-house (which is time consuming) – OR just take advantage of what we offer, with these features already built in and designed to work for you.

Let us do the hard work for you!

The Seniors Housing Online website is Australia’s leading retirement property website. We generate more traffic than the major real estate websites’ retirement sections, at a fraction of the cost.  Our clients receive highly targeted traffic and enquiries at a much lower per-click cost than they would pay for Google and Facebook ads.  Why bother managing this yourself or paying consultants when we can do it for you and you save money too?

Take advantage of our specialist expertise and technical investment in online retirement and aged care advertising.  For more than 8 years, we’ve constantly upgraded the website and optimised our search engine results to make sure we attract genuine enquiries from people who are actively searching for retirement and aged care services in Australia.  When you advertise with us you have the added bonus of optimising search results for your own website, and getting the benefits of the social media marketing tools we have built in so your ad can be shared by visitors using Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and more. Best of all you don’t need to do a thing and this doesn’t cost any extra!

We now have more than 35,000 people per month actively searching the website and a database of subscribers receiving over 22,000 email newsletters and property alerts each month, generating high volume, high quality enquiries for our clients.

Advertise from just $225!

A single location can be advertised for just $225 for 3 months, or $720 for 12 months (inc GST). This includes a whole webpage for your property or service, with unlimited text and up to 10 photos or images and access to account statistics. The listing also features google maps location, social media and email sharing tools, a link* to your website, and a “new property” alert is emailed to subscribers. (*Link with 12 month rates only).

We also advertise community based support and in-home services too, so these come up in consumer search results – recognising the growth in this part of the sector.

If you have multiple locations, we offer an annual subscription account at extremely competitive rates – contact us today for a quote on enquiries@seniorshousingonline.com.au or call +61 2 4963 1625

www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au

Budget 2013 - new support for downsizing seniors.

The 2013 Federal Budget has set aside $112.4 million funding for a trial to assist senior Australians to downsize to a home more suitable to their needs without reducing their Age Pension.

See if you qualify and read more on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

Retirement Villages - 90 day "settling-in" period.

If you buy a retirement village unit and then find you really don't like it and want to move out, under retirement village laws in NSW, SA and the ACT you have a 90 day “settling-in” period which allows you to change your mind and get a refund of the purchase price.  These retirement village laws are state based, so each jurisdiction enacts separate legislation outlining the charges which may apply, including a market rent for occupying the unit during the 90 day “settling-in” period. New residents who permanently vacate their unit within the first 90 days of moving in are only required to pay a fair rent for the time the unit was occupied and a reasonable administration fee to the operator in New South Wales retirement villages. The maximum administration fee the operator can charge is $200, departure fees do not apply, and you are entitled to a refund of your purchase price plus any recurrent charges paid under the contract. Similar laws apply in South Australia and the ACT, and the issue of introducing a “settling-in” period for retirement villages has recently been under review in other states such as Western Australia. If you are in one of the other Australian states which do not currently have a "settling-in" period, or if you have occupied the unit for more than 90 days, you will need to consider the termination provisions which apply under the terms of your contract and the relevant retirement village legislation in your state. If you have bought a retirement property which is not in a designated retirement village, then different legislation may apply, and you will also need to carefully consider the terms of your contract with the operator. As always, it is essential to seek legal advice before you agree to buy a retirement property, to make sure you are fully informed of all the legal and financial consequences. More in the article plus helpful website links on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

NEW retirement property and retirement village videos!

Now all the retirement properties and retirement village units for sale on www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au are also featured on two new Seniors Housing Online video channels too! You can click on the Property Tube link and then search by state or suburb to find properties and view the videos, or you can see them on our You Tube channel too*. And if you have a retirement property for sale, when you list it on Australia's leading retirement property website (from just $225) you now get even more online exposure with a video included* at no extra charge!  This is the best way to quickly sell or rent your retirement village unit, or over 55 home, villa or apartment, whether you are a village operator, a real estate agent or selling privately. Go to the Add Property page to upload your property using a credit card, or call us during office hours if you need more information or assistance. *Please note videos are created and uploaded for all retirement properties for sale on www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au - properties for rent and aged care facilities are excluded.

Changes to Health Insurance Rebates - will they affect you?

From July 1, your private health insurance rebate will be means tested, and the medicare levy surcharge will increase for those on higher incomes.

Some seniors currently receiving the 40% rebate may lose some or all of their rebate under the new income test, which means their premium could increase by more than 40%.

Find out if or how you are affected by these changes, and also review your health insurance needs and the cost of your premiums (or Medicare levy surcharge) using the information and links on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

Increased Tax-Free Threshold for Australian Seniors.

From July 1, the new higher tax-free threshold of $18,500 combined with the seniors and pensioners' tax offset means that single seniors will be able to earn around $32,000 and couples around $57,000 tax free.  More information on these entitlements will be available soon from the Australian Taxation Office website. There are also changes to the work bonus from July 1 so you can keep more income or work for short periods without affecting your age pension. You can find out more from the Centrelink website on the Work Bonus, or just go to the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page to find out more and use our handy links.

Register by 18 May to get your extra seniors' payments.

Even if you are a self funded retiree you are entitled to the Government carbon tax compensation payments on 25th June -- and you may also be eligible for the seniors' supplement too if you have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. The Seniors' Supplement is $842 per year and the carbon tax compensation (known as the "clean energy advance payment") is $250 for singles or $380 for couples. The Seniors' Supplement is paid quarterly to help pay regular bills such as power, rates, phone and car registration.

$55 million is available to be paid before July 1 - but you need to be registered with Centrelink to get your payment on 25th June.  There are still around 9,000 self-funded retirees who have not yet provided their details and Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin is calling for them to come forward to get the extra assistance they are entitled to. People have until 18 May to update their details with Centrelink to ensure they get their advance payment on 25 June. 

This payment is in addition to the ongoing household assistance starting in June next year to help self-funded retirees make ends meet an extra $338 for singles and $510 extra for couples combined.

Find out more on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

Keeping in Touch Online.

Are you making the most of all the free online tools available to keep in touch with friends and family? Expensive phone calls are a thing of the past now as you can make free voice calls and video calls online, share photos, and use social networking sites. 

Older relatives and friends who may be feeling isolated can really benefit from these new ways to communicate, even if you can't visit them as much as you'd like.

Find out more on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Seniors stamp duty exemption ends 30 June 2012.

You can save up to $22,490 in stamp duty when you buy a newly constructed home or an off-the-plan purchase before 30 June 2012 in NSW, if you are eligible for the senior's principal place of residence exemption.

To be eligible you must be aged 55 or over; have owned and occupied a home in NSW for the past 12 months which you are selling and must occupy the new home for a continuous period of at least 12 months. 

For more information and relevant links see the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Survey shows what over 50's are looking for.

A survey of 1,068 people visiting the Seniors Housing Online website shows what the over 50’s are looking for in a retirement property. Tastes and expectations are changing in the retirement property market now the baby boomers are starting to retire or downsize.

Results show the over 50’s now want larger units: 49.6% say two or more bedrooms is essential and another 35.8% say it is desirable; over 97% want an independent living unit; 78% want it in a community setting with access to facilities such as a community bus, a club house or recreation centre, and a swimming pool, and which is pet friendly (60%).  88% expect a garage or parking space but 85.3% also want to be close to public transport.  While 70.8% say they would prefer to live close to family and friends, a whopping 80.1% say they are prepared to move out of their local area to find the right retirement property and lifestyle.

Many people are not ready to retire from work in their 50’s but they do want to downsize their home and get rid of the mortgage once their kids have grown up. Retirement is changing – more people are transitioning into retirement with part time work, and a significant number of people intend to keep on working indefinitely or even pick up a second career as a volunteer. The focus is more on lifestyle – having the time and money to pursue your interests and do those things you’ve always wanted to do: play sport, get fit, travel, spend more time with friends and family.  Some prefer to move to a different suburb while others are happy to relocate to coastal or regional areas or even interstate to get the lifestyle they want within their budget.

Read more and take the survey - see the article on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Senior Smart Homes - Big Brother or Brave New World?

High tech developments in home automation and health monitoring devices are revolutionising senior living and aged care.

New devices geared to suit older people offer the potential to stay living independently for longer, and defer or even avoid entirely the need to move into a health care facility. They include home sensors, medication and health alerts, GPS locators, remote fall monitors, webcams and even robots. The Australian Government has just announced funding for an e-health pilot scheme under the National Broadband program.

Brave New World or Big Brother? What will this mean for you and your family? 

Read more and find links to more information on these developments in the article on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page

Seniors Housing Online Featured on TV show "A Current Affair" Channel 9.

Channel 9's program "A Current Affair" featured the Seniors Housing Online website in a story about retirement living. Three of the best retirement properties in Australia, from the website, representing different price points were filmed - Valhalla Village on the NSW Central Coast, Tranquil Waters at Victoria Point in Queensland, and Watermark Residences Castle Cove in Sydney.

Reporter Howard Gipps interviewed residents and presented information on activities, lifestyle and cost in each location in the story "Making the most of retirement living".

Amanda Graham from Seniors Housing Online was interviewed about trends in retirement living and the website.

You can view the video on the Channel 9 website.

Are "Virtual Retirement Villages" the New Big Thing?

Technology is now providing a platform for thousands of seniors in the US to develop "virtual retirement villages" - online local networks supporting people to live independently in their own homes with access to local services.  A membership fee helps provide paid staff, volunteers and infrastructure, supported by a centralised online network, putting a whole new spin on "ageing in place" policies.

These virtual villages are an example of what is called "naturally occurring retirement communities" which have evolved from senior enclaves developing in local areas offering a senior friendly living environment. While these clusters of older residents have always developed organically over the years as independent older people gravitated to senior - orientated services and lifestyle, online innovations have facilitated a new "Village to Village Network" with tools to replicate the model faster, provide basic functions and learn from shared experiences.

The U.S. based Village to Village Network already actively supports 50 such communities, and has contact with a further 3,000 as more attend workshops and join the network. It is organised by a non-profit organisation in Washington called NCB Capital Impact and Beacon Hill Village in Boston which was established 10 years ago. The network, launched in 2010, provides a range of practical tools to speed the process of developing a virtual senior community, including sample business plans, job descriptions, online learning forums, events calendars, online membership registration, and senior oriented local service providers and businesses.  It offers a step by step checklist and do's and don'ts for independent seniors wanting to set up their own "Virtual Village" to support seniors in their local area.

A customised website module has been developed for the Network to manage common village activities and is available to registered members. This has been funded partly via grants and partly via modest membership fees for participating villages.

For many older people this option offers the opportunity to link up with like minded others, taking responsibility for themselves and remaining in their own homes for as long as possible as they age, saving money on support services - as well as reducing demand for over stretched government funded in-home support services. 

For Australian senior living and aged care providers it potentially offers a way to rapidly expand their community based outreach services and connect with local seniors, so it will be interesting to see if or how the US model translates into local service provision.  Perhaps the development of effective new online tools will generate innovative partnerships between independent seniors, care providers and government?

See more with useful links on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Retirement planning tools.

Thinking about retiring?  Want to know how soon you can afford to retire?  There are a number of helpful online retirement planning tools, such as retirement calculators, superannuation calculators and pension calculators.

You can work out your preferred retirement age; how much income you will have after you retire; how to increase this; and how to boost your super, using links to these handy online tools on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Plus a whole lot of other useful links such as senior tax offsets, whether your investments will affect your aged pension, finding financial advisors and more.  You need to investigate these things well before you actually retire, and for many that happens sooner than expected, especially if it is a result of events beyond their control!

As well as checking out the website for news articles, you can also easily follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get regular updates:

Ageless design for baby boomers.

Baby boomers are typically in denial about the inevitability of the aging process, and adamant that they will never move to an aged care facility by choice.  But they are happy to downsize to a golf resort or similar – so modern retirement developments may look like any other attractive new homes, but also incorporate good design features, catering for occupants who may become less mobile and require in-home support services as they age.

Ageless design removes the stigma often attached to aged housing, and enables people to remain in their own home for as long as possible.  Indeed, the concept of “ageless” means these homes are better designed to cater for a diverse range of needs – whether these be young families with prams, or people with disabilities. They may address issues such as door widths, steps, handles, size of rooms and location of bedrooms and many other details people don’t consider until it’s too late, or too expensive to retro-fit their home later on.

Taking this concept further, the development of ageless communities encourages the planning of multi–generational, diverse housing stock where senior housing is only one part of the mix. Senior residents can then participate in local activities and access local services, without feeling as if they have been marginalised within a senior community. Technology has enabled a lengthy transition to retirement which commonly includes part time work or working from home, and safer by design principles can also help ensure better security and a safer environment is addressed too.

Some of the concepts of ageless design challenge the stereotype of decreasing mobility – by actively encouraging a healthy level of physical and mental activity. In addition to including swimming pools, gyms and golf courses, people are encouraged to regularly walk short distances or cycle safely to the local shops using well constructed footpaths and cycleways.  And having bedrooms upstairs may be a good way of ensuring incidental daily exercise, if there is still one bedroom and bathroom downstairs in case it is needed later on.

So in supporting healthier communities and fitter residents, and challenging traditional concepts of retirement, ageless design is creating attractive modern homes that actually appeal to baby boomers.  When combined with financial imperatives to downsize mortgages, stamp duty incentives, and a lengthy transition to retirement period, it’s easy to see why living in a well designed ageless community will become an increasingly popular option.  For links and more go to http://www.seniorshousingonline.com.au News and Info page.

Zero stamp duty for eligible over 55's in NSW.

Stamp duty concessions for seniors downsizing to new homes are being extended in New South Wales by the new State Government. The zero stamp duty provisions currently apply to people over 65 who sell their main residence to purchase a newly constructed home up to $600,000 - saving up to $22,490 in stamp duty costs. Incoming Premier O'Farrell has pledged to extend the concession to those over 55, effective from July 1, 2011, until June 30, 2012. The aim of the policy is to encourage downsizing seniors and the construction of new housing stock to stimulate the economy.

There has been limited take up of the concession since last year, with only 249 retirees taking advantage of the savings to date according to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald 16/4/11.

The exemption applies to a new home or off the plan purchase, for eligible seniors, with a summary of eligibility criteria available. For more details and useful links visit the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

New search options for babyboomers seeking retirement property.

Keeping up with the babyboomers’ rapidly growing demand for high quality over 50’s retirement property, leading Australian retirement property website www.seniorshousingonline.com.au has overhauled the site to dramatically improve search functionality, incorporate google maps and state of the art optimization with a fresh, modern look.
 “It is now much easier to locate suitable retirement property for sale or rent”, explains website co-founder Amanda Graham.  “Visitors have the option to select features such as waterfront, golf course and pet friendly living, with or without care services to suit their circumstances. They can tailor their search to match their personal preferences and needs.  Most of our website visitors are the young retirees – the babyboomers - active over 50’s, searching for lifestyle properties with resort facilities, but we also feature senior rental properties and aged care facilities too,” Graham says.
Since May this year, Seniors Housing Online has been working with Classified Ad Ventures on a technology review of the website, and the changes were put in place by Redback Solutions.  CAV chief information officer Chris Vulovic explains: “like most property websites, seniorshousingonline.com.au had a standard location based search.  Retirees are more interested in the facilities of a retirement village and the general location than they are the specific suburb. So we added 25 features that a retiree can filter properties by, including property features, support available, onsite facilities and location. This level of classification is a massive benefit for the users of the site allowing them to quickly find properties in areas that have services or features that are critical to them.”
Vulovic says traffic to seniorshousingonline.com.au should increase dramatically as a result of this property classification, as it allows the site to optimise its content for specific long tail search phrases for search engines.  “When a user types in ‘Retirement Properties with Low Level Aged Care in Sydney,’ the optimised content on the site will ensure that the portal is in the top of the results, driving traffic to the site,” Vulovic says.
Along with these changes to the website’s search, new ad products replace banner ads with the opportunity to buy contextual ads, such as those showing similar properties on property details pages. “These types of ads are highly effective because they are related to the visitor’s current search,” says Vulovic.
Visit website: www.seniorshousingonline.com.au  and see also: http://www1.propertyportalwatch.com/2010/10/cav-overhauls-seniors-portal

What sort of accommodation do seniors want?

Seniors Housing Online, Australia’s leading retirement living website welcomes the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) research findings that many seniors want larger homes during their retirement than has previously been assumed.

The AHURI report on “How well do older Australians utilize their homes?” confirms what our website surveys are already telling us – 85% of seniors searching for retirement property want two or more bedrooms. We have more than 20,000 seniors a month searching the website for retirement accommodation to buy or rent, and the reality is that while people may want to downsize the mortgage or access their equity in the family home, they don’t actually want to downsize their lifestyle in retirement.

They want enough space and facilities to be able to enjoy their retirement, and when they spend more time at home they need to be able to accommodate home based activities and visiting family and friends comfortably.

The benefits of downsizing to age specific housing include the security of knowing support services are available in the future should they be needed, as well as providing a resort-style environment, a sense of community and security and freedom from household chores and property maintenance.

Our surveys show seniors are overwhelmingly looking for independent living, with 75% saying this is essential and 21% saying it is desirable. 80% want a village setting; 67% a clubhouse or recreation centre; 59% a swimming pool and 49% a gym. 88% still want garages and parking spaces; and 58% want pet-friendly accommodation.

People are even prepared to move away from family and friends to achieve a better lifestyle in retirement at a price point they can afford, with 43% saying remaining in the same area doesn’t matter; 35% saying it is desirable and only 22% considering it essential.

These are the factors influencing housing choices which need to be recognized by government and private developers to cater for the babyboomer generation as they retire from full time work.

For more see http://www.seniorshousingonline.com.au/

NSW stamp duty concessions for seniors.

Seniors Housing Online, Australia’s leading retirement living website welcomes the NSW Government’s introduction of stamp duty concessions for downsizing seniors, although the impact is limited as many seniors aged 65 and over choose established properties rather than new builds, or want to move to retirement villages or other age specific housing where stamp duty is not applicable in any case.

If the NSW Government is serious about creating effective incentives to free up existing housing stock then this concession needs to be extended to existing housing as well as new builds, the age threshold should be reduced to 55, and consideration given to making age specific accommodation such as retirement villages more financially attractive where property stamp duty does not apply.

There are more than 20,000 seniors a month searching the website www.seniorshousingonline.com.au for retirement accommodation to buy or rent – 12% are looking for a luxury apartment or villa; 26% are looking for a new villa in a village setting and 28% are specifically looking for a retirement village unit.

‘Over 55’ developments differ from other residential properties as they are structured with a variety of legal title arrangements with many offering a type of long term leasehold interest rather than freehold or strata title ownership. So the stamp duty payable on the purchase of a residential house will in many cases not apply to a retirement property.

The benefits of downsizing to age specific housing include the security of knowing support services are available in the future should they be needed, as well as providing a resort-style environment, a sense of community and security and freedom from household chores and property maintenance.

Seniors Housing Online website visitor surveys show seniors are overwhelmingly looking for independent living, with 75% saying this is essential and 21% saying it is desirable. 80% want a village setting; 67% a clubhouse or recreation centre; 59% a swimming pool and 49% a gym. But at the same time, 50% say two or more bedrooms is essential and a further 35% say it is desirable; 88% still want garages and parking spaces; and 58% want pet-friendly accommodation.

The reality is that while people want to downsize the mortgage or access their equity in the family home, they don’t actually want to downsize their lifestyle in retirement. People are prepared to move away from family and friends to achieve a better lifestyle at a price point they can afford, with 43% saying remaining in the same area doesn’t matter; 35% saying it is desirable and only 22% considering it essential.

These are the factors influencing housing choices which must be taken into account if we want to encourage seniors to free up their larger family homes and make more housing stock available.

Australia's number one retirement living website.

The Seniors Housing Online website was set up as an independent source of information to help consumers find retirement accommodation in Australia. It was established in 2003 and now has the largest database of thousands of retirement village units available for sale; luxury retirement resorts; over 5o's apartments and villas, as well as aged care accommodation with more support services.

It's easy to search by area, price and type of accommodation. There are photos and direct contact details for more information on each property and to arrange inspections. It's also a great place to sell your own retirement unit privately - you can upload photos and details yourself.

There are also seniors rental villages and higher needs aged care - all in one convenient and easy to search website.

http://www.seniorshousingonline.com.au/